Coin selector



.Euy E, 1941. J. GOTTFRIED ETAL.

COIN SELECTOR Filed Aug. 2l, 1959 FIGB.

w/:Rmiwwr Il@ 'Patented July 1, 1941 COIN SELECTOR John Gottfried, St. Louis, and Benjamin W. Fry, University City, Mo.

Application August 21, 1939, Serial No. 291,176

(Cl. 19d- 100) 2 Claims.

vThis invention relates to coin selectors, and with regard to certain more specific features, to coin selectors for segregating good coins from slugs and like counterfeit tokens.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a coin selector of the class described which is particularly adapted for separating coins and slugs or the like which are made of different metals of substantially equal elasticity, but of dierent hardness; the provision or a coin selector of the class described which is particularly adapted to segregate United States nickels from slugs or counterfeit coins of de-casting metal; and the provision of a coin selector of the class described which is relatively simple and economical in construction and extremely reliable in action. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts Whic-h will be exemplied in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a coin selector embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an anvil piece.

Similar reference characters indicate correl sponding parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Coins (by which term is hereinafter meant both genuine coins and counterfeit coins, tokens, or slugs) have long been separated by subjecting them to bouncing tests, as by dropping them edge-wise against an anvil, the segregation being eiected in accordance with the extent of rebound of coins of various compositions, and hence various elasticities.

Such bouncing tests are relatively inelective, however, when the metals of the coins are of substantially the same elasticities, except when special provisions, such as brought about by the present invention, are adopted. The problem becomes particularly acute in the separation of United States nickels (five-cent pieces) and counterfeit tokens or slugs made of die-casting metal. The nickel alloy of the United States nickel coin, unfortunately, has substantially the same elasticity as does die-casting metal. However, the hardness of these two metals are different; the nickel alloy of the nickel coin being somewhat harder than the die-casting metal. The coin selector of this invention eiects a segregation of such genuine nickels and die-casting metal slugs in accordance with the relative hardnesses of these two metals.

Referring now more particularly to the drawin'g, there is illustrated a coin selector embodying the present invention. This comprises a base plate I having along certain of its edges projecting anges 2. The flanges 2 extend upwardly from the base plate I a distance just in excess of the thickness of the coins to be tested, such as the United States nickel. Spaced from the base plate I by the upper edges of flanges 2 is a cover plate 3, which is the same in size and shape as the base plate I.. Screws tl hold the base plate I and the cover plate 2 together in the aforementioned spaced relationship.

The base plate I, near one of its upper corners, is provided with a pair of spaced, parallel projections 5 and t, serving to denne, with plates l and 3 a chute 'I. The chute 'I peferably has an initial portion 8' leading vertically downwardly for a. short distance, and then a sloping portion 9 extending downwardly and across the plate I.

In the diametrically opposite corner of the base plate I from the chute l, there is mounted, as by screws I0, a bouncing block or anvil piece I I (see also Fig. 3), which has a sloping albeit smooth and unbroken bouncing edge l2 making an angle with respect to the edges and bottom of base I of the order of 45, or the like. The particular angle` is of no moment, except that it should provide a bouncing edge disposed at a relatively large angle to the path of oncoming coins delivered from the chute l thereagainst. In addition to sloping in this respect, however, the bouncing edge I2 is bevelled as indicated at numeral I3, so that said bouncing edge, cross-wise of the selector, is not at a right angle to the planes of the sides of the anvil piece II. In previous anvil pieces of this general construction, the bouncing edge has been at a right angle to the planes of the sides of the anvil piece, and consequently to the inner surfaces of base plate I and cover plate 2.

In approximately mid-position between the anvil piece II and the opposite edge of the base plate I, there is provided a separation block I4, which is held in position between the base plate I and the cover 3 by a pair of screws or the like I5 passing through a slot I6 in the cover 3. By loosening the screws l5, the separation block I4 may be moved vertically up and down to position its point I1 at the proper separation location.

'Ihe operation of the coin selector as thus constructed is as follows:

Coins, inserted at the upper left-hand corner of the selector, first fall through the vertical portion 8 of the chute 1, and then slide or roll along the sloping portion 9 of the chute 1, thereby acquiring a considerable momentum. When the coins thus introduced (shown in dotted lines and indicated by numeral I8) leave the chute 1, they are projected along a downward curve, against the bouncing edge I2 of the anvil piece II. The spacing between the inner surfaces of base I and cover 3, it will be recalled, is somewhat greater than the thickness of the coins I8,

so when said coins hit the bouncing ed'ge of the anvil piece II they do so, due to the beveled character of said bouncing edge, along one of their circular corners (a corner of a coin being considered as the line of intersection of a side face of said coin and its cylindrical edge face), rather than hitting the bouncing edge on their cylindrical edge faces, as is the case when the bouncing edge is at right angles to the planes of the side plates. Consequently, in the present invention, the bouncing coins are wedged, to a slight extent, between said bevelled edge I3 and the inner surface of cover piece 3 (or the inner surface of base I, in case the bevelled edge I3 slopes in a direction oppositely to that shown in the drawing). When a relatively hard coin, such as the United States nickel, is subjected to said Wedging action, it is not substantially hindered thereby, but said nickel coin bounces relatively vigorously, in accordance with its hardness and elasticity, over the top of the separating point II of separating block I4 and then falls out from the coin selector at the bottom thereof, near the left-hand edge thereof as viewed in Fig. 1. A softer coin, such as a die-casting metal coin, however, is momentarily hindered by this wedging action, because of the energy absorption incident to the making of a slight dent or deformation, either temporary or permanent, along one of the edges of said softer coin,A such as at the point of impact indicated by numeral I9 in Fig. 3, and this hindering action means that the softer coin, regardless of its elasticity, will not bounce to the same extent as the harder coin. With the separator point II of the block I4 properly adjusted, the softer coin will bounce to the right thereof, as viewed in Fig. 1, and will be discharged from the coin selector at the lower edge thereof, towards the right-hand side thereof as viewed in Fig. 1. Thus the two classes of coins, comprising the relatively harder coins from the relatively 'softer coins, are segregated in accordance with their relative hardness, regardless of their nearly equal elasticities.

One of the principal advantages of the present invention is the ease and simplicity with which it may be embodied in many coin selectors of the same general type now in use. For this purpose, in order to achieve the benets of the present invention, all that needs to be done is to remove the anvil piece or bouncing block and grind or otherwise form a. bevelled bouncing edge thereon, in place of the heretofore-customary rightangular bouncing edge.

It will be understood that the present invention may readily be adapted for the segregation of different coins other than United States nickels and die-casting metal slugs. In fact, it is of equal applicability in all instances where the hardnesses of the metals of the types of coins to be separated are different, even if the elasticities of said metals are substantially identical. y

In View of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim: I

1. In a coin selector, means providing a coin passage slightly wider than the thickness of coins presented thereto and including coin guiding Walls, an anvil member toward which coins move for contact and away from which they bounce, a contact face on s'aid anvil member comprising an unbroken surface lying at an angle to the trajectory of a coin andl extending at an angle other than perpendicular from said guiding walls, and comprising a plane of contact engageable only with a corner of a bouncing coin which en-' gages the contact face of said anvil.

2. In a coin selector, substantially vertical walls engageable with the side faces of a coin inserted there-between and spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of said coin and defining a coin passage, an anvil member toward which coins move for contact and away from which they bounce, a contact face on said anvil member comprising an unbroken surface lying at an angle to the trajectory of a coin from said passage and having a knife edge located between said walls and substantially against one of said walls, said unbroken surface being located at an angle other than a right angle to said walls whereby one corner only of an approaching coin engages said unbroken surface.

JOHN GOTTFRIED. BENJAMIN W. FRY. 

